Straw Hat Tales
by Alena S. Anigor
Summary: A collection of OP stories, revolving mostly around /Luffy x Nami/ with the rest of the crew occasionally popping up. Reviews are welcome. /Completed/
1. Instinct

Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece; Eiichiro Oda is the genius behind it all.

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**a/n:**

: mutters : My plot bunnies are going to kill me one day...

Anyway, since the said plunnies are on a spree and have decided to molest my mind, I decided to make something out of that and see where that gets me.

Warning: Weirdness ahoy!

And constructive criticism is welcome...God knows there will be some... : deadpans :

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**_I._** **_-Instinct- _**

-by Alena S. Anigor

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Sometimes she was wondering how he knew.

She would stand in front of the railing, on the upper deck, with her hands resting on the wooden rail and with her eyes gazing thoughtfully into the distance of the wide blue.

And she would wonder.

Her eyes would travel down to look at the sleeping swordsman on the deck, his arms clutching Wadou Ichimonji protectively, as well as his other two swords...She remembered he still owed her money for them...But she would confront him about that someday...

Maroon orbs would gaze then at the relaxed figure of Nico Robin, sitting cozily in her chair on the deck, blue eyes skimming over one of her books, shielded behind dark sunglasses, her cocktail shimmering in the glass on a small table beside her.

She would rather hear than see Usopp and Sanji bickering over some insignificant thing, (probably food) while the small reindeer would try to calm them down, standing timidly between them, wearing a panicky expression. The argument would soon end with a swift kick of the cook to the sniper's head who would usually either end up down on the floor with swirling eyes or would leave demonstratively with a pout.

And then...then there was the captain.

She knew almost instinctively where to look for him; her neck would crane a bit and her eyes would search the ram-headed figure in the front, catching a glimpse of his red shirt, his unruly black mane and his famous straw hat that was making the whole known as Monkey D. Luffy.

Her expression would soften for just a bit, as she would observe the nonchalant way he was sitting on the ram's head, one of his hands on his knee, the other one keeping his straw hat firmly from getting blown away by the wind.

He was so naïve, so childish, so innocent at times that she couldn't help but wonder how on earth he would become Pirate King with that kind of attitude.

She believed all pirates were bastards, living only to plunder, destroy and kill. After all, she had a right to think so because she was talking from personal experience.

But then she met him and got to know him and things had changed.

She would never forget all those fights, battles, crises he had gone through, just to free her village, to free her from clutches of Arlong, just to welcome her onboard again as his crewmember. As his navigator.

She could remember the way he fought for Syrup Village and against Captain Kuro...just to help Usopp and have him on his ship...How he helped Sanji fight Don Krieg, inviting him afterwards to join his crew.

And let's not forget Chopper and Nico Robin, the woman who was a partner of the notorious Sir Crocodile, and someone she would never even help, let alone trust enough to save her life like he had...

For a while, it didn't make any sense to her, but then she had started to understand.

It was like he knew exactly whom he wanted by his side...

He could've taken any other guy as a swordsman...but he wanted Zoro, the young man with the three swords technique that could slash through any enemy and a knack for falling asleep on top of the mountain if he felt like it.

He could've hired any other sharpshooter onboard if he wanted...but he chose Usopp, the long-nose who was good at shooting and telling all kinds of stories, but would start to cry for his life every time they would collide with someone who either wanted to kill them for the bounty or simply get them out of their way.

He could've taken any other cook to make him meals and serve him on the ship, but he took Sanji in, who would kick and scream at him for eating everything from off the table and who would flirt with every female he would encounter.

And there were so many good doctors in the world he could've hired, but he asked Chopper to come with him and be the ship's doc.

She doubted they really needed a historian onboard, but nonetheless, he offered Nico Robin a spot on his ship and a place in his crew, because he believed in her.

And he could've taken any other girl or boy to be his navigator...but he didn't want anyone else except her. Her who had betrayed him, hogged his ship away and left without a trace...and still, he sought her out and saved her from the nightmare she was forced to call life.

Why her? Why them out of all people in the world? Did he know something they didn't? Was that the reason why he chose them? Or it was because of some weird, inane reason his brain had come up with just for the heck of it?

Because, she had to admit that with all their differences and similarities, they were a great team...they were his nakama, they have become his family.

It was them he chose to accompany him in his search for One Piece. It was them he chose to go on a great adventure with him, laugh with him, bicker with him and fight with him...and maybe, join him on the throne when he would become Pirate King someday and take his place in the world's history.

How did he know?

"Instinct," he said simply and smiled at her.


	2. Meat tastes best

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece...

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**_II. -Meat tastes best-_**

(Also known as_ The Reason why Sanji's heart-shaped eye was never the same again _XD)

-by Alena S. Anigor

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They were sailing peacefully down the endless blue of the Grand Line, an occasional breeze wafting by, rolling clouds slowly over the perfectly blue sky.

It was such a beautiful day and nobody could resist the warmth of the sun – Zoro was napping on the deck, his bandana covering and shielding his eyes from blocking away pleasant dreams, his swords glistening on the midday sun.

Robin was, as usually relaxing in her chair with one of her books in her lap, Sanji towering over her with hearts flying around him, trying to fulfill her every wish and demand.

Usopp and Chopper were sitting in the nest above them all; both sprawled around the wooden pole, sighing with content every time a breeze flew by and caressed their faces.

Luffy was sitting on the railing nonchalantly, swaying to and fro casually while Nami was standing next to him, observing the map in her hands.

The Log Pose was set forward which meant they were on a good course, the ship breaking the waves in front of them steadily and making the water foam. She took her eyes off the map occasionally to glance forward and keep the sea in check and to look at her captain whose face was donning a huge grin, anticipation of their next adventure already rushing through his body like adrenaline.

She sighed heavily and shook her head dismally, praying for the weather to stay nice and for every living human being, monster and what else not inhabited the Grand Line, to keep away from them as long as possible.

Her wish, unfortunately, was not to be granted.

Usopp and Chopper were too busy enjoying themselves in the nest to hear anything; Sanji was too distracted by Robin, who was too immersed in her book about Poneglyphs to notice anything. Zoro was quite useless since he was drooling and dreaming about defeating Hawkeye to even care about the huge shadow underneath the Going Merry.

When the front of the ship started to rise slowly and made Nami blink in confusion about the suddenly strange feeling that the ground was slipping under her feet, it was already too late. Luffy only managed to utter one, puzzled "Huh?" before the catastrophe occurred.

A giant swordfish made its way up underneath, making Usopp and Chopper scream in fright. They hugged the pole tightly to stay onboard, their eyes wide and their screams of horror deafened by the noise of the water lifting and the ship's wood creaking ominously.

Robin shut her book with a thud, her chair slipping to the side slowly as the ship continued to fall backwards, the cocktail on the small table next to her falling down to the deck, the glass shattering.

Sanji just lifted his eyebrow at the potential dinner, Zoro snapping out of his dreamland when he rolled all the way down to the cabins and hit his head against the wooden doors. He blinked groggily and glared at the cause of his sore head, his eyes narrowing threateningly and his fingers already on one of his swords.

As the ship started to rock violently, for the swordfish had managed to bump into it with one of its flippers, Luffy hopped off the railing and was already ready to punch the fish and get credit for catching them all a dinner, when water splashed the entire ship, the waves crashing over the deck mercilessly and making the navigator scream.

Her hair, her clothes, and most important – her map, were already drenched and she glared daggers at the swordfish that started to swim away from then nonchalantly. She growled at the sea monster, clutching the half-torn map in her hand.

"Zoro, Sanji!" She yelled and the two turned around to look at her glowering face, "What are you waiting for? Get that damn fish!"

"Yes, Nami-san!" Sanji exclaimed happily with hearts all around him, while Zoro mumbled something incoherent and then looked at Luffy whose face was now blank, his arm half-raised in the air to perform one of his attacks, but the swordfish had already disappeared beneath the surface. He shrugged after a while and then looked at his navigator who was fuming and practically ablaze with fury next to him.

"You idiots! Now you let it get away!"

With that, she stepped forward, ready to march down to the deck and throw a canon ball after the damned creature, but she didn't get far when her shoe slipped on the slippery floor and with a gasp, she let out a yell, for the second time that day, losing the ground beneath her feet.

In a desperate attempt to grab onto something, she flailed her arms forward, the remains of the map falling out of her hand when her fingers grasped something soft and tugged sharply.

Luffy only managed to yelp when Nami grabbed the front of his shirt roughly and pulled him forward.

"Nami-san!" Sanji exclaimed, hearts twinkling in his eye and all around him. "Look out!"

And like in some movie, when the scene is being played in slow motion, the others watched in wonder their navigator falling to the ground, landing quite unceremoniously on her butt, with their captain with her, landing on top of her, his lips mashed firmly against hers.

Waves crashed against the ship as the sea calmed down, but the atmosphere on the ship was anything but.

Dead silence followed in which Usopp and Chopper were staring in sheer amazement at the two, Chopper blushing slightly at the somewhat romantic scene. Robin just smiled discreetly and turned her head to look at the swordsman who was trying so hard not to start laughing at the sight.

The only one who was shocked to the bone was Sanji, his heart-shaped eye cracking with shock and horror for seeing his beloved Nami-san kissing..._kissing_ none other than Luffy.

The cigarette fell out of his mouth when he finally recovered and screamed, breaking the silence on the deck.

"What the hell are you doing!"

As for the two protagonists of the _romantic scene_, they were still on the floor, the dark-haired boy staring at the wide-eyed girl in wonder, his lips still on hers and his hands resting by her sides.

Nami didn't know when her brain stopped functioning properly...she tried to guess it was after the initial contact happened, but right now, she was only capable of blushing profusely and staring at the face of her captain, her heart racing madly in her chest. She felt like she couldn't breathe...which wasn't far from the truth since her lips were sealed by his for more than 10 seconds already.

"Luffy, get the hell off of Nami-san!"

She heard footsteps approaching from below and jerked, snapping out of her stupor, blinking twice and breaking the contact, the action creating a soft, kissing sound. Luffy was still staring at her in some kind of daze, his eyes slightly clouded with something she's never seen before; even after she backed away and Sanji trotted up and grabbed Luffy by the hem of his shirt.

The captain landed a few feet away from her, letting out a pained sound when he fell flat on his face.

"Nami-san!" Sanji exclaimed worriedly, lifting her up quickly and leaning in to observe her pink cheeks and a startled expression. "Nami-san, are you all right? Talk to me, say something!"

"Uhhh..." Was the first articulated thing she managed to choke out, staring at the bewildered look on the chef's face. After a few moments, she nodded quickly and looked away, trying to hide the fact that her cheeks were burning and her heart was still beating like wild. When she glanced at Zoro and Robin she gulped when she noticed a small, meaningful smile on the archeologist's face and quickly turned her head back when she could see the smug look on Zoro's face, his smirk making her feel like her face would blow.

"Y-yes, Sanji-kun, I'm fine! It was just...just an accident, don't worry!" She said, her voice cheerful and light again although she was grimacing and twitching on the inside, wanting nothing more than to run away from them all and never show herself in front of them again...Especially in front of Luffy.

She shuddered slightly when she remembered that gleam in his eyes and quickly turned around, determined to walk back (run) to her cabin to make a new map (hide).

"I have to make a new map," she exclaimed and walked away, stepping quickly into her cabin and closing the doors behind her a little too loudly for her liking.

Once inside, she exhaled deeply and leaned into the wood of her doors, staring at the floor intently, her hand resting over her chest where her heart still refused to calm down.

She grimaced when she heard Usopp, cheerfully congratulating Luffy outside; followed by a loud pat on the back by Zoro who said something to him she couldn't hear but had definitely made the cook yell:

"WHAT? Are you out of your mind!"

She covered her ears and ran to her desk, her hands quickly grabbing a piece of paper from the corner, her mind set on making a new map. She would not listen to the jerks outside, she would force her hands to make a new map and...

"Why are my hands shaking?" She asked herself and then let out a frustrated growl when she wasn't even capable of drawing a straight line across the paper. "Damn it!"

She let the pencil drop down and leaned down until her forehead was pressed against the cool, smooth surface of the paper.

"Why me?" She asked herself again in a whiny voice, covering her tangerine tresses with her hands. Her body shivered again and her cheeks blushed involuntarily when the image of his glazed eyes and the feel of his lips on hers came to her mind. They were so surprisingly soft...

"Argh!" She screamed and started to shake her head, wanting nothing more than to see that damn swordfish dead, Zoro and Usopp strangled, and Luffy on the bottom of the sea. "This is all your fault, you idiot!"

A knock on the door made her straighten up immediately, Sanji's questioning voice coming from outside.

"Nami-san, are you all right?"

She resisted the urge to smack herself on the forehead. "Yes, yes I'm fine!" She replied quickly, berating herself inwardly for talking to herself out loud. "I just have, uh...troubles with this map, that's all!"

"Oh...okay," Sanji's cheerful voice that was reserved only for her returned, although she couldn't see his troubled expression, "If I can get you anything, just ask!"

She sighed in relief and relaxed in her chair. "I will, thank you!"

Silence ensued again after that as everyone seemed to have resumed what they've been doing before the _spectacle_ occurred.

She growled and forced her mind to concentrate on making a copy of the previous map, although her thoughts still wandered occasionally and she had to constantly draw and erase the wrong lines and curves on the paper, cursing the straw hat boy every time she made a mistake because of him.

"I hate you, Luffy," She muttered when she finally finished the map and grimaced in pain for spending over 3 hours hunched over her desk.

When she looked outside through the small round window of her cabin, it was already dark, and her eyes widened when she glanced at the clock and saw what time it was.

She presumed everyone was having dinner since she could hear plates clattering from the other cabin, but when she stepped outside, her breath hitched and she stopped dead in her tracks upon spotting Luffy sitting in the same spot he had been sitting that afternoon. He turned around and looked at her and she suppressed the urge to turn back and lock herself in her cabin.

"Hey," he said simply and smiled warmly at her, making her cheeks heat up and her heart jump happily in her ribcage again. She took a deep breath and leaned back, the doors supporting her weight.

"Hey," She said somewhat awkwardly, looking away when she couldn't look at his face anymore.

She almost flinched when he hopped off the railing and approached her, making her turn her head to look at him, her eyes widening slightly.

He was still smiling at her and she was starting to feel uncomfortable, various thoughts and scenarios playing in her head.

He wouldn't really...he couldn't possibly...Wait...

"Luffy," She squeaked when he leaned down to look into her eyes, their noses touching. Her body tensed visibly. "Wha-what are you doing?"

She wanted to back away, she wanted to run away...she wanted to slap him and throw him to that damn swordfish for dinner. She should've backed away, she should've run away and she should've slapped him but she was glued to the spot and was only able to stare at him in utter shock and bewilderment when his lips touched hers again and made her jump, electricity running through her body.

This time, his eyes closed slowly, hers still wide as saucers, staring at his face, at his nose, at the scar under his eye in astonishment.

Her body relaxed instinctively when his lips moved over hers, making her eyes flutter and close, her arms limp by her sides.

When she parted her lips slightly to allow him access to her mouth, he gladly seized the opportunity, making her let out a soft moan when his tongue started caressing the insides of her mouth.

Her instincts and emotions took over and her arms lifted to snake around his neck, fingers brushing against the rubbery texture of his skin and tangling in the mass of his unruly hair. Vaguely, she wondered when and where did he learn how to kiss, but she dismissed that thought as his hands rested on her waist.

And just when she was starting to lean into him, he broke the kiss as suddenly as he had started it and backed away, licking his lips slowly and making her stare at him with misty eyes, her lips burning on the cool, night air.

His face was a mixture of confusion and wonder when he frowned suddenly and made her blink at him in puzzlement.

"Uh...Luffy?"

He was looking at her like that, with a frown on his face and she was starting to wonder just why he was frowning like that. Was she such a bad kisser or something? She knew she enjoyed it...and then she instantly blushed at the realization. She didn't really start to develop feeli-

"Aha!" He broke the uneasy silence between them and made her jump slightly, removing his hands from her waist and pulling back from her. She merely blinked at the sudden change in his demeanor. "Now I know why I liked it!"

He grinned triumphantly. She gaped at him in utter confusion.

"What?"

"Now I know why I liked it!" He repeated and pointed a finger at her, making her ogle at him. "You were having meat for lunch, weren't you?"

Crickets chirping, realization dawning, mouth agape, eyes wide, fists clenched, head lowered.

"Am I right?"

Silence around them. Then, the sounds of deep breathing, knuckles cracking and teeth gritting.

And when she finally raised her head and looked at him, he craned his neck and frowned in confusion after seeing a murderous expression on her face.

"Uh, I'm wrong?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Echoed through the ship and made one, happy crew in the cabin beneath freeze amidst dinner and exchange awkward glances.

"Uh...should we do something?" Chopper asked timidly, earning a few snickers in return.

"Nah!" Chorused back and the dinner was resumed.

Outside, Luffy screamed when Nami, with a single punch, sent him flying across the deck, over the railing and into the sea, his fall creating a loud splash for everyone to hear.

"AND I HOPE THAT SWORDFISH FINDS YOU AND TEARS YOUR STUPID RUBBER BRAIN IN PIECES!"

With that, she turned on her heel, yanked the doors to her cabin open and stormed inside, shutting the doors behind her violently.

When Robin, realizing the situation Nami was in and what kind of effect would that have on the captain, still got out soon after that and managed to fish him out of the sea, the boy was sporting a large bruise under his eye and wheezing heavily from the onslaught of water to his lungs.

"Thanks...Robin..." He managed to splutter on which the historian only nodded.

"You made her pretty mad, Captain," she said in a humorous tone after that, making the boy look up at her and shake his head.

"Yeah," he breathed and then scratched his head when the rest of the crew got out to see what was going on, "I just don't get it why! I thought I finally guessed something..." He ventured, watching Zoro, Usopp and Sanji cackle at him while Chopper was already in his doc mode, rummaging through his medicine bag in a search of some antiseptic and band-aids.

Robin just smiled sympathetically at him and patted him on the back.

"You've still got a lot to learn, Captain."


	3. Scars

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece...

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_**III. -Scars-**_

-by Alena S. Anigor

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There were a few things she had managed to get used to while being a pirate...

She knew stealing from others was inevitable; it was her previous, _official_ profession, a habit that wouldn't go away that easily.

Fighting others she had gotten used to, as well...They were pirates; it was common for them to encounter those who would recklessly challenge them, thinking that the straw hat boy was merely a weak, teenage, pirate wannabe, underestimating his strength, power and determination by judging the book by its cover.

Besides, with her Clima-tact, she was now a force to be reckoned with.

But there was one thing she always hated...one thing she would always turn her head away from and grimace at the sight of...

Nami hated wounds and scars...And she hated blood.

So, it was no wonder she was staring numbly at the sight of her crew beaten and bruised after the clash with one of the numerous pirates who had eaten the Devil Fruit.

The fight didn't last for long, but it was hard enough for both Sanji and Zoro who were panting heavily on the deck, blood dripping down Zoro's face and down the blades of his swords, staining the flawless metal. Sanji's boots were dirty, the hems of his slacks slightly torn and messy, the cigarette dangling out of his mouth. He looked a bit disheveled, but he didn't care as he was sitting in the middle of the deck, satisfied that Robin was next to him, one of her hands cleaning the wound on his forehead, the other two bandaging Zoro's hand diligently.

Robin, herself, didn't suffer much damage, so she busied herself with helping Chopper with Usopp; the long-nose letting out all sorts of pained sounds and moans.

It didn't take long for Chopper to finish him up, adding a final band-aid to his forehead and leave him to chatter pointlessly to anyone who wanted to listen to him.

He turned around and looked at Nami who was biting her lower lip quietly, staring at the dark-haired boy in front of her, her expression a mixture of worry, fear and disgust.

He then glanced at the Captain who was sitting somewhat sluggishly in front of the navigator, his arms, hands, legs and torso covered in blood, the sharp tips of the flying spears the pirate was equipped with piercing his skin, inflicting damage to his rubber body.

His head was lowered, only a shadow covering his face and eyes, black bangs swaying slightly on the wind.

Chopper jerked out of his stupor, and looked around; noticing that he still had to aid Zoro and Sanji. As much as Robin's hands were useful and helping, they still needed to be checked for any other serious wounds and injuries but he also knew that Luffy needed help, as well.

He stopped in the middle of the deck and looked at the navigator again, wondering why she was so appalled by the scene.

"Nami," he said and the girl jerked a bit, snapping out of her daze, auburn eyes looking at him somewhat stressfully. He ventured, watching her face contouring into a grimace she was trying to hide by lowering her head. "I...I still need to help Zoro and Sa-"

"Ah, right," she replied quickly and took a bottle of antiseptic from his medicine bag slowly, twisting the cap with more force than necessary.

She looked at Luffy who was still sitting quietly in front of her and sighed heavily, turning to the bag again to take out a roll of gauze, bandages and a box of band-aids.

She looked him up and down, grimacing at the wounds, scratches and bruises all over his body, her head shaking involuntarily at the sight. Her eyes widened slightly when he looked up at her suddenly and gave her a lopsided grin, making her frown at him.

The idiot smiled at her...

She knelt down in front of him and put the bandages aside, opening the bottle to pour a few drops of antiseptic on the gauze, her face still serious and grim. How could he smile at her in a situation like this? He was wounded, bruised and although she knew he would recover quickly, it still gave him no right to be so reckless and carefree like nothing had happened at all...

That man could've killed him...Only one shot, one hit, one sharp tip of that spear to jam itself into his heart would've been sufficient and his dreams, his life..._he_ would be gone from this world forever...

And the idiot was smiling...

The bottle shook in her hands.

"Hey, Nami..." He finally spoke, his voice slightly raspy but not lacking the usual cheerfulness, dark eyes watching her in wonder. "What's up with you?"

She was staring at the wooden floor of the deck, the bottle trembling in one hand and the other one still holding the damp gauze in mid-air, the wounded boy in front of her waiting for his treatment.

"How can you smile?" She whispered, making him blink at the way she spoke, her voice deep and low, quivering with something else he couldn't really define. He scratched his head in confusion and shrugged, the motion making his wound stretch and sting a bit but it was nothing he wasn't already used to.

"Well, we beat them so there's no need for you to-OWW!"

"You moron!"

Chopper and Robin stopped with their ministrations, Zoro, Usopp and Sanji turning their heads to look at the pained expression on the boy's face and the tense, rigid back of their navigator, her fingers clenched around the bottle. Chopper sweatdropped; smiling uneasily at the hot-tempered, tangerine haired woman.

"Uh, Nami...the point is to tend to the wounds and not inflict more…pain..."

He flinched when she turned around and glared at him, fingers griping the gauze firmly. She turned her attention back to the rubber boy in front of her and sighed.

"What was that for?" Luffy asked; the indication of physical pain evident in his voice as he rubbed the sore spot on his head. Nami put the bottle down and leaned closer to him, looking him in the eye and he lowered his arm down, staring blankly at her.

She raised her hand slowly and gently touched the small cut on his forehead, the stinging sensation making him hiss and jump slightly.

She concentrated on the cut, making little, circular movements as if trying to soothe the pain physically, brushing away a few disobedient strands of dark hair away from his eyes.

"You have to be more careful," she whispered finally and looked into his eyes again that were boring into hers. He was eyeing her intently, listening carefully to what she had to say. She moved her eyes away from his to dampen the gauze again with the transparent liquid, taking a deep breath before continuing with her ministrations.

She started cleaning up the small wound below his collarbone, fingers brushing softly against the tender flesh of his skin, sadness creeping into her eyes slowly and making them glassy and glazed. He was quiet, his eyes studying her carefully. He had a feeling she wanted to say something else, so he kept quiet, her lips parting to inhale softly.

"You're risking your life too much, you know...you...you're too reckless sometimes and..." She stopped when she realized she was done with the wound and should move on to the next. She threw the bloody gauze away and reached for a new one, pouring some liquid over it again.

She moved on to his torso where two, large deep cuts were visible, creating a letter X across his chest. She gulped and bit her lower lip, already imagining the scar that would remain; a souvenir, a nice reminder of what could've happened if there weren't for...

Luffy's lips parted slightly in surprise when he saw her take a sharp intake of breath and lower her head quickly to hide tears that were threatening to spill out of her eyes.

She just didn't want to lose him, too...She had already lost too many and too much...She knew she wouldn't bear to lose him, as well...He was too precious to her. He was her best friend, he was...

"Nami," He said in a small voice and she got up abruptly, letting the gauze fall to the floor. She quickly ran across the deck, climbed up the stairs and closed the door to her cabin, not being able to stay there and look at the wounds, the pain, the blood...

She didn't want him to see her crying again...she didn't want him to see how vulnerable she really was. How much she cared...

Outside, Luffy was staring after her, dumbfounded and slightly disturbed by her behavior. Zoro and Sanji said nothing. Robin and Chopper exchanged meaningful glances, Usopp staring thoughtfully after her, too.

"I'll finish here," The historian said after a moment of unpleasant silence, "you go and help the Captain."

Chopper nodded solemnly and got up, approaching Luffy with a pair of scissors.

The dark-haired boy looked at him blankly on which Chopper just smiled uneasily, not knowing what to say. But he knew and he understood very well why she ran away. Maybe others couldn't see it, but he was well aware of the connection between those two and one seeing the other almost dying...He sighed heavily, examining the rubber boy.

"Okay," he said and knelt down in front of him in the same fashion, "let's see."

---

Her pillow was slightly moist due to the tears that still managed to escape her eyes in the end.

She had tried so hard not to start crying, but her throat, her eyes and her heart betrayed her and she had no choice but to comply.

She was lying on her bed, staring dismally at the picture of her, Bellemere and Nojiko, looking so happy, blithe...free. They didn't know what was coming then...she didn't know her mother would die for them; she didn't know she would have to abandon and betray her village just to save it. She didn't know she would have to spend years and years under his control and spend nights and nights huddled in the corner of her room, crying...

And who was to say something like that wouldn't happen to them, to him? Maybe tomorrow, maybe in a week, maybe in a few months?

The wounds and the pain leave scars behind...And she had plenty of those already to deal with new ones. Her soul and heart had wept and bled enough...

She jolted in her position on the bed when someone knocked on her door.

She got up slowly, thinking it was Sanji but when she wiped the remains of the tears away from her face and plastered a faux smile on her face, she was surprised to see Luffy peeking through the hole between the doors and the wall of her cabin.

"Uh...Nami?" He asked awkwardly and then his eyes widened when he saw that she was crying; red rims visible under her eyes. Almost instantly, worry was written all over his face, his mind wondering why his navigator was crying.

She sniffed once and then managed a shaky smile, inviting him in with a gesture of her hand.

"Hey," she said after a moment of awkward silence and then turned away from him, trying her best to smile and look presentable in front of him. "I'm sorry I hit you and ran away from you today."

He just shook his head and approached her slowly, coming to stand next to her stiffly. "That's okay; Chopper finished the job."

She nodded absentmindedly and then jerked involuntarily when he put a hand on her shoulder, his fingers warm on her bare skin.

"Nami," He said; his voice soft and small again and she trembled, her tresses covering the paleness of her face, in the start contrast to her red, puffy eyes. "I'm sorry...please, don't cry."

She shook her head sharply, taking a deep breath to calm the clenching sensation in her chest. "I'm not crying, Luffy, don't worry."

"But you were crying, your eyes are all red and watery," she gasped and stepped away from him when one of his fingers brushed against her cheekbone, trying to prove his point. She looked at him in wonder, staring at his outstretched finger and a half-worried, half-puzzled expression on his face. And she suddenly felt like laughing.

She let out a chuckle that turned into a stiffened giggle and then she couldn't hold it any longer and she started to laugh, letting everything run out of her – pain, anguish, worry, fear...happiness.

"You're..." She breathed, trying to catch her breath between the fit of laughter, "incredible, you know that?"

He blinked, gaping at her, completely mystified by her sudden change in behavior. He shrugged then mentally, realizing that as long as she wasn't sad anymore, it was okay. He grinned and raised his head proudly.

"Yep!" He replied and started laughing together with her.

She stopped after spending a full minute laughing merrily like that, when her jaw and her tummy started aching and her throat burned. Silence ensued between them, the two teens looking at each other oddly, the girl observing him intently and the boy staring at her with a smile on his face.

Then, his smile froze for a moment when she crossed the short distance between them and hugged him firmly, resting her forehead on his shoulder. She sighed and relaxed, feeling so soothingly safe and secure while holding him.

He didn't move for a while and she already thought she had gone too far but then he embraced her back, his arms around her waist and his hands resting on her back protectively.

"Luffy," She whispered in his ear, her breath tickling him slightly, "I want you to promise me something."

"Okay," he replied without a second thought and she smiled softly. It was so like him to make promises so easily.

She took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully.

"I want you to promise me," she ventured, her cheek touching his when she raised her head a bit, her eyes staring straight forward, his fixated on the wall of her cabin. She hesitated, wondering for a moment if he would misunderstand her words, but there was no hesitation in _his_ voice when he urged her to move on.

"Yeah? What?"

"I want you to promise me that you'll never leave me."

There. She had said it.

Her body tensed a bit as she leaned back to look up at his face, his eyes fixed on hers, firm and unwavering.

She blinked when he nodded and smiled at her brightly. "Okay, I promise!"

She deadpanned, thinking how he was just fooling around with her, but when he looked at her again and she could see the serious flicker and determination in his eyes, the silent confirmation that he would keep his promise, her eyes softened and she sighed in relief, letting her forehead fall on his chest limply.

"But then you have to promise me to never leave me, either!"

Figures...

She let out a chuckle and nodded, raising her head to look at him. "I promise."

"Good!" He replied enthusiastically, letting go of her and making her shiver slightly when his warmth left her body. She had a sudden urge to hug herself just to keep his warmth there but she suppressed it and smiled happily at him when he fixed his straw hat and then gave her one of those lost, blank, Luffy-ish looks. She looked at him apprehensively.

"What?"

He was quiet for a moment before his stomach answered her question, letting out a funny howl.

"I'm hungry." He said simply and she let out a snort, pushing him out of the cabin and down the stairs that led to the kitchen where Sanji was already preparing dinner.

"Figures," She muttered and deadpanned, but inwardly, she felt relieved and happy. He would stay by her side, he promised. And Luffy did not break his promises.

And together, they would make their wounds heal and their scars disappear.

---

**a/n:**

Bah, such a cliché of an ending...and probably too OOC...

Anyway, I realized I didn't thank you all for reviews in the last chapter, so...thank you! XD

I know this sucked and I'm sorry in advance, but I think I'm sensing a writers' block coming my way, which is not good, so I don't know when I'll update again. Hopefully, soon...

Till then, wish you all a Happy Easter!

:throws chocolate eggs and bunnies all around:


	4. Pretty, Little Circles

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece! Eiichiro Oda does!

---

_**IV. -Pretty, little circles-**_

(also known as _The Reason why letting Luffy smoke cigarettes is a big no-no_)

-by Alena S. Anigor

---

It was a well-known fact that Luffy was by nature a very curious young man...Which, combined with his lack of common sense sometimes, had a tendency to get him into a lot of trouble...Thus, leaving his crew wondering where their captain was and what the hell he had done this time and, of course, they had to go and find him and, on many occasions help him out and save his butt from ending up on the bottom of the ocean...But, I digress.

So, since Luffy was a very curious individual, it was no wonder he sometimes liked to stroll around, watching Nami draw maps (that would result in him somehow crumbling or ruining the precious piece of paper and Nami screaming at him and promising him a high price to pay for the mishaps), Robin read one of her books (and making the usually calm and collected historian grit her teeth at the amount of absurd questions he would ask until she would either snap and leave the deck or he would simply decide _arkology_ was not interesting at all and he would be the one to leave).

Sometimes he would join Chopper in one of his experimental moods and of course, do more harm than helping, making the small deer end up in a cloud of dust and chemicals. Zoro would simply shrug him off or not pay attention to him in the first place, being busy with sleeping and all, so he would go and observe (read: bug, annoy and irk) Usopp in the nest, making the sniper throw him out in the end.

But, right now, our favorite captain was busy with someone else...or something else...

His eyes were focused on small circles of smoke, floating, dancing and playing happily in the air as Sanji was leaning on the wooden rail, having his daily, longer-than-usual cigarette break.

The cook was aware of his presence, his puzzled expression and silent curiosity in his eyes every time he took a drag and blew the smoke out of his mouth, pursing his lips and shaping the smoke in small, pretty circles.

And Luffy was absolutely thrilled! He wanted to make such pretty circles, too!

"Hey, Sanji?"

"Hnn?"

"Can I try?"

"What?"

"That."

"What?"

"That!"

Sanji finally turned his head to look at the rubber boy who was looking at the cigarette eagerly, looking like a little kid who couldn't wait to get his hands on his new toy. Sanji was silent for a while then turned his head again to look at the blue ocean.

"No."

"What!"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Because?"

"Just because!"

Pouts, grumbles and puppy dog eyes.

"Please?"

"No!"

"Just one?"

A heavy sigh coming from the cook. A hopeful look in the captain's eyes.

"It's not healthy."

Confused look.

"Then why are you doing it?"

Exasperated sigh.

"Because...urgh, none of your business!"

"Mou..."

Sounds of waves crashing against the ship, birds chirping above, wind whistling around them.

"So, can I try it?"

Sanji growled and turned to look at him in annoyance, plucking the cigarette out of his mouth sharply. "Why?"

"Because I wanna learn how to make those pretty circles!"

A deadpanned look crossing the cook's features. "You never give up, do you?"

A bright smile on the captain's face. "Nope!"

"Fine," Sanji replied then carefully handed him the cigarette. "If that'll get you off my back..."

Luffy took it into his hand gingerly, turning it into his hand to observe it better. "So, what do I do now?"

"You put it into your mouth, you idiot!"

"Jaik dish?" He asked with his mouth wide open and holding the cigarette like he was going to swallow it. Sanji's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed him by the hand.

"No, you moron! You don't eat it! You...you...just, just give me that!" He barked and Luffy gave him the little cigarette back, looking somewhat sad. "Now, observe!"

He caught the cigarette between his lips and inhaled, the brim of the cigarette lighting for a second before he parted his lips, pursed them slightly and a little cloud of smoke came out, rolling away as a perfect circle. That, of course was the main attraction of the show.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed enthusiastically, watching the cloud of smoke in awe. "This one was good! Lemme try!"

Sanji gave him the cigarette again and stood close to him, just in case the moron set himself on fire. He watched carefully as Luffy placed the cigarette between his lips and then inhaled. And inhaled...and inhaled until his facial expression changed and Sanji's eyes widened in panic.

"Luffy?" He asked hesitantly, watching the rubber boy swaying to and fro slightly. "Uh...why don't you give me the cigarette now?"

Luffy looked at him, his eyes half-lidded and his lips still clamped around the cigarette. Slowly, he parted them and gave him the cigarette, still swaying slightly. Sanji almost choked on his own saliva when he saw that almost nothing remained of his cigarette.

"Oh, shit..." He mumbled and then quickly closed his eyes and stepped away when a large amount of smoke came out of Luffy's mouth, clouding the space between them almost instantly. "Luffy! How much did you inhale?"

He could hear only gurgles and coughs from the other side and quickly flailed his arms to clear the smoke. When the deck was visible again, Luffy was already gone and he couldn't see him anywhere. His mind alarmed, he quickly leaned over the railing to see of he hadn't, perhaps, ended up in the ocean, but there were no bubbles on the surface.

"Damn it," He muttered and quickly ran away across the deck. He found Zoro napping near the mast and kicked him sharply in the ribs.

"Wake up, cabbage-head! Luffy's gone!"

Zoro growled at the searing pain in his ribs and cracked one eye open. "Ngh...So?"

Sanji took a deep breath before he replied. "He's high."

Zoro stared at him for a moment before he smirked and went back to sleep. "Well, this should be fun."

---

Five minutes later, Zoro was flailing his arms and Sanji was standing next to him, looking at a half-stoned Luffy on the floor, smoke still coming out of his mouth and nose. Above, on the upper deck, a fuming Nami was standing, holding the remains of her newest map, the edges of it slightly charred.

"Next time pick someone else to show your pretty circles to, you idiot!"

With that, she stormed back inside and slammed the doors behind her.

Usopp and Chopper approached them, as well, gazing at their captain; Usopp snickering at the sight and Chopper shaking his head disapprovingly.

"What are we going to do with him?" Zoro asked, eyeing him indifferently.

"Ah, let him sleep," Sanji said, already toying with his lighter and chewing on a new cigarette. He glanced at Luffy then at the others who were looking at him somewhat darkly...And then placed the cigarette back into the package and the lighter back in the pocket of his pants.

He would go on a cigarette break some other time...

---

**a/n:**

I always kind of wondered how it would be to see Luffy with a cigarette...

Thank you all for wonderful reviews :huggle:


	5. Size does matter

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece!

---

_**V – Size does matter**_

_-by Alena S. Anigor_

_(Warning: slight smut ahoy! XD)_

---

The water was hot and relaxing against her smooth skin as it trickled down her back and kneaded her tired muscles. Steam was rising slowly around her; engulfing her completely and making her look like some ethereal creature amidst a misty lake.

Nami sighed in content; standing under the shower with her eyes closed and letting the water wash away the tension in her shoulders, arms and back. After a long, exhausting day, she thought she deserved it.

That was why she stormed into the bathroom before everyone else, so keen on washing away the dirt and dust from the skin that she forgot to lock the door...

She was just in the middle of grabbing the soap when the doors opened with a thud and she jumped and shrieked, eyes widening at the bewildered looking captain with a piece of meat hanging from his mouth and standing in front of her, breathing heavily. The steam floated out, leaving Nami completely unprotected.

He closed the door quickly and leaned on them with a sigh of relief, all the while not noticing her and completely ignoring the petrified look on his navigator's face. They both heard footsteps running by and Sanji cursing impatient, hungry and stupid captains out loud. Then, he finally turned his head and looked at her, the slightly mischievous look in his eyes being replaced by a blank one.

He blinked once, twice and then continued on staring at the nude figure of the tangerine-haired girl in front of him.

Nami stared back at him for good five seconds; her cheeks red and her face promising him slow and painful death afterwards. Then, she exhaled slowly and reached for the towel on the handle, wrapping it around her body casually as if nothing happened and her captain seeing her naked was something that was occurring on a daily basis. Besides, he had already seen her naked when they were still hanging around Vivi and Alabasta.

She stepped out of the shower cabin and walked her way up to him nonchalantly, her captain still staring at her oddly. When she was a few inches away from him, she stopped and raising her arm slowly, slapped him with all she had, the action causing him blink and his head fly to the side, the steak swaying slightly to and fro from his mouth.

He let out a pained sound and touched the sore spot on his cheek, blinking at her somewhat accusingly.

"That was for barging in uninvited while I was taking a shower!" She yelled, her face flushed, her hair dripping and her fists clenched by her sides. When he offered just a blank stare in return, she raised her arm with an intention of smacking him on the head and throwing him out, but the towel around her slipped down suddenly, leaving her naked in front of him again and this time he did blush slightly, swallowing hard.

She grimaced and gritted her teeth, bending down quickly to pick the betraying piece of cloth and wrap it around her form again almost violently.

She wanted to yell at him to get the hell out of the room already when she met his inquiring stare and his finger pointing at her breasts.

"Weren't those bigger before?"

Drip, drip, drip...Deep breaths...knuckles cracking...

A few seconds later, Sanji blinked and looked up from his stove when Luffy flew by the window and crashed in the middle of the main deck, causing Chopper to scream in fright and Zoro to wake up. Robin merely glanced at him behind her copy of _Underwater Ruins_ while Usopp just shook his head and went back to fishing.

Sanji approached him and lighting a cigarette, bent down to examine his captain, observing the chewed out steak in his mouth and a bruise under his eye. Then, he straightened up and sighed.

"Fine, you can keep the meat, you moron."

---

**a/n:**

Ahh...I really missed those two...

Anyway, this was written as a birthday present for **_YamiPaladinOfChaos_**! Happy birthday once more, kiddo! XD


	6. Sleeping Pirate

Disclaimer: I was Eiichiro Oda and I owned One Piece...but then I woke up and realized it was all a dream... XD

---

_**VI – Sleeping Pirate**_

(Or _Fairytales were made for Usopp, not Luffy)_

---

Robin cocked one curious eyebrow when a shadow appeared over her relaxed form, looming almost ominously across the wooden boards of the deck. Ever her shiny, blue cocktail with a small sun umbrella and a slice of orange seemed to cower under the shadow.

The top of the shadow gave away the figure standing behind her and Robin smiled knowingly at the prying pair of dark eyes skimming over the pages of the book in her lap.

"Yes, Captain?" She asked, raising her eyes to look at the lean figure of the boy fully, catching his questioning stare. He remained silent but did raise a pointing finger at the book resting in her lap.

"Whatcha reading?" He inquired, a note of puzzlement creeping into his voice. Robin smiled at the colorful page, gazing fondly at the illustration.

"It's a storybook," She explained softly, tracing the slightly brittle paper with her fingers.

"A storybook?" Luffy echoed; tilting his head to the side before a grin crossed his face. "Cool! What's that?"

Robin chuckled in amusement, pondering about whether she should tell him that she was leafing through one of her old books, laced with pleasant memories of her early childhood. Even the smell of the old paper still remained the same, reminding her how she liked to read books the moment she had learned how to read.

"Well," she started, carefully choosing her next words, "it's a story, a fairytale to be precise."

She smiled when Luffy's eyes lit up. He liked fairytales. "Really? What kind of fairytale?"

Robin shook her head and chortled again, truly amazed and amused by his almost, insatiable curiosity. She decided to satisfy it, knowing very well that once interested in something (and by now, he definitely was) her captain wouldn't give up until he was told about it. She took a deep breath, leaned in her chair, beckoned him to sit down next to him, and began.

"Once upon a time, there was a princess..."

---

When it became dark outside and the ocean turned into a seemingly frightening, dark abyss, Luffy was sitting on the ram's head, a thoughtful, if not troubled, look on his face.

The fairytale Robin had told him about wouldn't leave his mind and the theory (well, the general idea, more) behind it was too intriguing for him to let it go by.

And definitely too tempting for him not to test it himself.

So, with a newly found resolve and vigor, he jumped down, landing smoothly on the deck and approached the first unsuspecting victi-uh, I mean person aboard the Going Merry.

Roronoa Zoro was napping peacefully in his usual spot below the mast, his body sprawled over the deck. Luffy stopped when he was standing directly in front of him, his eyes gleaming curiously under the brim of his straw hat. He hesitated a bit before he leaned down, and coming a few inches away from the swordsman's face, stopped.

Something just didn't feel right here...No...it'd be wrong to do that, weird...It was different in the fairytale.

He shook his head and straightened up, making his way purposefully up the stairs, a bright smile donning his face. He knew just the right person for his experi-uh...whatever.

He slowly pushed the door of the cabin open, peeking inside and catching a glimpse of the person he was looking for.

Tiptoeing to the bed, he took a deep breath, watching in awe her closed eyes, her chest rising and falling rhythmically as she breathed in her sleep, her lips slightly parted.

Perfect.

Leaning down, he placed his hands on the edge of her bed, his palms resting on the soft sheets, before he lowered his face to hers, feeling her breath on his lips, the sweet scent of her shampoo filling his nostrils.

He hesitated for just a second, before he unconsciously licked his lips and captured hers with his. He waited impatiently with his eyes open to see if it worked.

Nothing happened.

Slightly disappointed, he sighed against her lips and pulled away, staring at his navigator somewhat dejectedly. He didn't understand what he had done wrong – he had kissed her and she was supposed to wake up. The prince did it, so why couldn't he?

With a frustrated grunt, he took another deep breath and tried again, capturing her lips again, this time applying more pressure.

His eyes widened slightly, his breath hitching in his throat when Nami let out a soft whimper and moved her lips against his, her bottom lip sliding enticingly over his own. Luffy's fingers twitched and clasped, grasping the soft sheets firmly, a strange sensation bubbling up in his chest and stomach.

Now, that was odd...and unexpected...and felt kind of nice...but she was _still_ asleep!

Nami's mind whirled, creating images in her mind – she was on the beach of some unknown island, embracing a figure in shadows and kissing the said figure, his straw hat covering his face and...wait...straw hat?

Straw hat!

With a sudden realization and a sharp intake of breath, she jerked, her eyes snapping open, staring at the shadowy figure of...Oh, Kami, no – Monkey D. Luffy.

"GYAAHHH!"

And the fairytale-like moment was definitely ruined.

---

A few minutes later, the light in Nami's cabin was on as the main protagonists of the fairyta-uh, I mean story, were staring at each other mutely, the boy standing in the middle of the room stiffly, his cheek swollen and sporting a nice handprint, and the girl leaning against the wall, her shaking, shell-shocked body in contrast to her now, fully awoken mind, burning cheeks and a murderous expression.

Nami was breathing heavily, gripping the rough panels of her cabin, her eyes wide.

"W...wh...gah!" Was all she could articulate before her tongue decided to make peace with her brain and cooperate safely again. "What the hell, Luffy?!"

The boy in question blinked, waking up from his slightly dazed and confused state. He touched his stinging cheek and then cocked his head to the side, a frown on his face. She was finally awake, yes, but...

"That's not how it was supposed to go."

It was Nami's turn to blink now. "What?!"

"In the fairytale," he went on, flailing his arms briefly as if to emphasize his point which only added to Nami's confusion.

"What fairytale?" She snapped, composing herself from the temporary shock and planting her hands on her hips. Luffy blinked again.

"Well, Robin showed me this storybook with pretty pictures where the prince kissed the sleeping princess and woke her up from eternal sleep and so I wanted to see if it's working, but the princess never slapped the prince and..." He stopped when Nami raised a hand, her face darkening with a comical grimace.

"Robin? Fairytale?" She choked out through gritted teeth, having a sudden urge to burn all of Robin's books, her hand forming into a fist, her knuckles white.

"Out," she commanded and Luffy blinked, her lips shaping a surprised 'o'.

"Huh?"

"Out!" She spat, advancing towards him threateningly, "Get out!"

He yelped when she grabbed him and pushing him towards the door, shoved him out of the cabin.

"But, but-" He spluttered, but his nose collided painfully with closed doors when Nami shut them vehemently behind her.

Still raging and fuming, she crawled back into the bed after blowing out the candle in the glass lamp, still not believing the idiocy of that...idiot! And still not believing she was that crazy to kiss him. Never mind it was actually good...but it was crazy and she decided to leave it at that and not go any further before her mind decided to throw something else hazardous at her. And she would definitely have to forbid Robin to share fairytales with Luffy...Definitely...And Usopp, too...

---

Outside, Luffy was sitting on the ram's head again, pouting. Zoro was snoring not too far away from him, and Luffy half-turned around to glance at his grim expression, glad with his decision not to kiss Zoro. Who knew he would've reacted, although Luffy had a pretty good idea knowing the swordsman's temper and he didn't really like the idea of ending up at the bottom of the ocean, decapitated.

He sighed and propped his chin on his hand, gazing dismally in the distance at the dark blue abyss.

"So much for my happy ending."

---

**a/n:**

_Yami_ _Umi _mentioned in her review how she felt sorry for Luffy for getting a slap instead of a kiss (in the previous chapter)...Well, this time he _did_ get a kiss...and a slap... XD

Lots of hugs and kisses to all of you who reviewed this story! You're my greatest drive and inspiration and the kick in the butt I occasionally need to write something! I hope you liked this one! XD


	7. Bittersweet

Disclaimer: Can't say I own One Piece since I'm poor as a church mouse...

---

_**VII - Bittersweet -**_

-by Alena S. Anigor

---

That morning, she had woken up earlier than usual.

That morning, the sun was peeking happily behind the horizon, seemingly melted with the deep blue of the Grand Line, seagulls circling above, waves glistening on the sunrise. It seemed like it would be a perfect day when she looked out the window of her cabin, but Nami felt melancholy.

It was _the_ day today.

She sighed heavily and glanced at the framed photograph on her nightstand sadly, wondering for a minute how Nojiko was doing, if everything was all right in Cocoyashi, would they remember to bring some flowers to her grave on the top of the hill...

It was _the_ day today...the day she had lost her freedom, her childhood...and her beloved mother.

A loud high-pitched wail from outside made her snap out of her stupor and a moment later a panicky Usopp barged in, followed by an overly excited Luffy. Nami blinked at them when Usopp started flailing in fright, spluttering something about evil, monstrous rifts out there that were about to swallow them alive and Nami's expression changed from woeful to alarmed one in an instant.

"Where?" She asked, trying to ignore Usopp's fits of paranoia as she hurriedly followed Luffy outside.

Sighing exasperatedly, she spotted Sanji kicking a sleeping Zoro in the ribs on which the swordsman let out a warning growl and started bickering with him, trying to swat him with one of his swords.

Frustrated by their behavior while their already battered ship was inching towards a new disaster, she barked at them to stop it and pay attention to the dangerous swirls in front of them. Sanji obeyed immediately, hearts flying around him for a brief second and Zoro muttered something under his breath but got up, Chopper and Robin joining them on the deck after hearing the commotion outside.

"Is everything all right, Navigator?" Robin asked curiously on which Nami gave her a wry look.

_Oh, yeah, everything's just honky-dory...except we're going to be swallowed alive by a giant whirl!_

"No!" She spat and Chopper backed away from her quickly when she started marching her way down the stairs. Ordering the boys to lower the sails, the concentration on her face faltered for a brief second.

_So much for a perfect morning..._

---

A few hours later, they were sailing peacefully down the ocean, the clouds darkening above them suddenly. Rain started to drizzle and managed to wake Zoro up from his afternoon nap, his clothes and swords drenched, raindrops riveting down the sheaths. He cursed silently under his breath as Nami got out of her cabin to bark orders at them again.

She sighed heavily, rudely interrupted from her pensive state she had spent the last few hours in. She had been thinking and reminiscing about good old days when she was free to run and steal books from the bookstore, laugh and have fun with Nojiko, play hide and seek with Bellemere, hiding amidst trees and bushes on their plantation...

And then it was whisked away from her in the most brutal way possible...And the stupid weather had to pick _this_ very day to get all capricious and unpredictable and not let her brood and be lament over her memories.

When the storm had calmed down and the clouds cleared away, making room for a velvety black sky and shimmering stars, she walked away from the kitchen, leaving the rest of her merry crew to laugh and have fun on their own. Chopper had asked her a few times is she was feeling all right when she had spaced out on a few occasions and Robin had cast a few questioning glances her way, but she had shrugged them all off, telling Chopper she was just tired and exhausted and smiling assuredly at Robin. She just didn't want to bother them with the knowledge that she was sad because everything she held dear was taken away from her on that day...

Now, she was standing under the orange tree, planted on the upper deck, casting shadows over the ship, branches swaying slightly on the gentle breeze.

She took a deep breath and reached for one of the oranges, tracing her fingers gingerly over the slightly bumpy surface, the orange rolling and turning in her palm. She sighed softly when she could almost see Bellemere's face in it, smiling at her cheekily, her ever-present cigarette dangling from between her teeth; could feel her presence in every branch, leaf and orange, feel her spirit forever embedded in that single orange tree that still continued to grow in the middle of their ship, seemingly alone and isolated.

"Bellemere..." She whispered sadly, a bitter smile crossing her lips, the corners of her eyes glistening slightly.

"She died on this day, right?" A voice behind her startled her and she spun around, coming face to face with her captain. She didn't even realize he was standing behind her. When had he crept up on her, anyway?

"Luffy," She breathed, his question only now registering in her mind. "Uh...who..." Then she realized he somehow must've remembered, as well, and nodded slowly, glancing at his feet. "Yes."

Luffy remained silent for a while before he leaned on the railing and smiled softly at her.

"You miss her," It was more of a statement than a question and again she nodded dully, her vision becoming blurry, her chest constricting with grief. God, she did miss her...today even more so. She sniffled and lowered her head even further, turning away from him, not wanting him to see her cry.

She jerked when she felt something warm under her chin and her eyes widened slightly when his fingers forced her to raise her head and look at him. He was still smiling warmly at her, eyes filled with something she thought was compassion.

"It's okay to cry sometimes," He said quietly and she relaxed a bit, finding his touch and presence oddly soothing. "And it's okay to miss those we love or have lost...I miss them, too sometimes, Nami."

His eyes softened slightly when she bit her lower lip, her eyes crinkling with fresh tears again and without thinking, she took a step forward and leaned into him, grasping the front of his shirt, her head buried in his chest, body clinging to him as if he was her only lifesaver. She hiccupped when her mind reminded her that he, indeed, had saved her life more than once, figuratively and literally.

All her anguish and grief resurfaced, engulfing her shivering body, making her sob quietly and grit her teeth; trying hard not to completely crumble in front of her captain and lose her dignity. But, she stopped caring about it when he snaked his arms around her trembling frame and hugged her tightly, placing his chin on top of her head.

She knew she was crying in front of him openly again, she knew she was doing what she had promised herself she wouldn't do anymore, she was aware that she was soaking his shirt and looking like a complete, weak idiot but it was all too much...She had no more room to place her building sorrow and pain in; she had spent the entire day in keeping it hidden, swallowing it and in the end it had backfired at her, bursting out of her in one single moment.

Luffy was silent, staring at the orange tree mutely and Nami stopped crying after a while, her cries lessening to sobs until she was letting out occasional sniffles, refusing to let go of her lifesaver. When she calmed down, she leaned back a bit, wiping her eyes that were now all red and puffy and taking a step back to look at the wet stain on her captain's shirt.

"I'm sorry I drenched your shirt," she croaked in chagrin on which Luffy merely shrugged and offered her a placating smile.

"It'll dry off."

She was quiet for a few moments, staring absentmindedly at his buttons. "It's just that...this day and...and then everything was wrong and, and the weather sucked and I had no time to even think about her...it just..." She stopped suddenly, the need to cry, to explain, to apologize, to clarify her actions to him leaving her now completely drained and exhausted. But she welcomed it; anything to make the grief and pain go away was a welcoming thing.

"I...I'm..."

"Maybe she didn't want you to be sad and think about it that much so she sent the bad weather to keep you busy."

She blinked in surprise, looking up at his, now serious face, at a loss for words. Bellemere, creating all those storms and havoc just to keep her from being sad? She chuckled, thinking how it must make sense by some Luffy-ish logic, but still, that didn't make her feel any better, anymore relieved. Now, though...

She looked at him appreciatively, his arms still around her waist and for the first time that day, smiled a true, sincere smile at him.

"You're probably right," She half-whispered and he offered her one of his lopsided grins.

"Of course I am!"

He stepped back and let go of her when she made a move to turn around and look at the orange tree again.

"Feeling better now?" He asked carefully and she took a deep breath before she nodded and thinking briefly about it, reached for his hand and grasped it, intertwining her fingers with his gently. He squeezed back and they stood together like that on the upper deck, listening to the laughter of their crewmembers below, the waves crashing against the ship and the breeze playing soft, mellow tunes between the branches.

She sighed softly, remembering the past with a small smile now, cherishing the present and looking forward to the future with him and them by her side.

"Thank you," She whispered to the orange tree and then looked at him and repeated her words. He just grinned merrily.

"No problem."

---

**a/n:**

And now, your all-time favorite Author Notes! XD

This was written in a small café in another town where I attend my classes (and where the previous chapter was made, as well) which leads to my decision to write all of my fics there! The place always makes me feel so inspired! Plus, the cakes they have are to lick your fingers and their coffee is heaven for a caffeine addict of my caliber. XD

Also, sometime during this fic, I changed the rating to _T_...odd thing is – I don't even remember changing it...but I figure I must've changed it when I posted the _smut-filled chapter_. XD

_Cybertoy00_ – Ehm, no – I had no idea about Luffy's grandpa; I had read somewhere about Luffy becoming scared upon hearing about him, but that was awhile ago and I don't remember where...unfortunately, we puny mortals here in Croatia don't have the privilege to read manga...We're happy if we get to see anime shows on local TV stations...The more lucky of us have cable to watch anime shows on. So, yeah – I get all the info on the net or via other OP fans. But, thanks for telling me! I'll make sure to rape the net (and Wikipedia) for that tidbit of information later! XD

And thank you all for wonderful reviews! They've made me squeal like a rabid, OP fangirl I am! Till next time, take care!


	8. Wanted!

Disclaimer: One Piece isn't mine.

---

_**VIII - Wanted! –**_

_(Pirate Queen this time!)_

-by Alena S. Anigor

---

Zoro stretched lazily on the deck, muttering something under his breath, and turned away from the annoying ray of sunlight that was shining happily into his face. His earrings jingled slightly when his head fell on his chest and he went back to snoring. Not too far away from him, Sanji was in heaven, standing between a scantily dressed navigator and historian who decided to take some time to sunbathe; Nami lying peacefully on the chair, sun reflecting off her dark sunglasses and her skin glistening softly under the thin layer of sun cream. Robin was sitting in her chair, immersed in one of her trusty books, her favorite cocktail shimmering merrily on the table beside her. They were both trying to ignore the source of vast amount of hearts and cooing around them.

Chopper was sitting on the upper deck, also engrossed in one of Doc's books, various bottles, tubes and jars filled with odd plants and liquids scattered around him. He was humming softly to himself, leafing through the pages calmly. He looked up for a second and smiled happily at the blue sky and puffy clouds that were rolling over it, casting shadows over the ocean. From somewhere up there, Usopp sighed in the nest, toying with his fishing staff and adding some enhancements.

The day was perfect for napping, sunbathing, catering to half-naked women, making experiments that would hopefully turn out all right in the end and pretending to keep watch for new islands and potential threats.

Luffy, however, was incredibly bored.

He was sitting in his favorite spot in the front of the ship, his chin propped on his hand, his expression conveying just what he thought of this perfect day. He was deadpanning.

Trying to engage his nakama into some kind of conversation or activity had proved as totally fruitless: Zoro merely shrugged him off and turned to the other side, resuming his nap, Robin was trying to be nice and offered just a sympathetic smile before going back to her book while Sanji and Nami weren't such happy campers and thus, he walked sullenly away from them after being clobbered on the head by Sanji and yelled at by Nami (he spilt her sun cream all over her towel...)

Helping Chopper with one of his experiments ended almost fatally - driven by his curiosity, he had managed to break one of his tubes, making the smelly, purple fluid trickle over the deck. But after the said fluid started to vaporize and burn at his skin and eyes, Chopper quickly poured another one over it when Luffy started letting out choking sounds and coughing. He definitely gave up on experiments and stumbled away when Chopped actually _glared_ at him.

His last resort was Usopp, so when one rubbery hand grabbed the edge of the nest and its body soon followed and jumped inside, Usopp wasn't surprised.

"Hey," the usually hyperactive captain said, looking somewhat gloomy now. Usopp merely glanced at him before he resumed his work.

"Hnn..."

Silence ensued, interrupted only by an occasional squeak of a seagull or waves crashing against the ship. A warm breeze wafted by and ruffled Luffy's bangs, bending the brim of his straw hat slightly. Deciding he had caused enough damage for today, he just sat there, watching Usopp observing his staff critically, adjusting the hook and straightening the string. After a few moments, he let out a satisfied mumble and put the staff down, fixing his goggles before settling his hands on his stomach and glancing at the sky. Luffy blinked at the lightly glazed look in his eyes, craning his neck a bit.

"Whatcha thinking about?"

Usopp was quiet for a moment, before he sighed and looked at the endless blue of the Grand Line, his gaze traveling across the shimmering water.

"I wonder...how's everybody doing back home."

Luffy blinked again, looking blankly at him and then smiled. "Don't worry, Usopp!" He exclaimed, patting him on the head awkwardly. "I'm sure they're fine!"

"I just hope..." Usopp spoke again, making Luffy halt and stare at the thoughtful look on his sniper's face. "I...hope Kaya is all right."

An image of the small, fragile looking blond girl came to Luffy's mind, as well as the sinister face of the black-haired man with glasses and hands that wielded blades.

Usopp's face darkened slightly, when he, too remembered the flash of the man's glasses and the desperate look in the girl's warm, brown eyes. He remembered sitting on the branch in front of her window...and the sickly, pale face of the kind, bedridden girl whom he often told incredible stories filled with adventures and dangerous creatures to make her feel better. To make her smile, because then her eyes would brighten and her cheeks would color and for a moment, she would look happy and very much alive.

"You...really care about her?"

The question snapped him out of his memories and Usopp redirected his eyes from the ocean and looked at Luffy, blinking at the sudden change in his captain's demeanor. He looked so... uncharacteristically serious; a look he had only seen on his face amidst battles.

He smiled and nodded slowly, gazing at the endless blue of the sky this time, adjusting his goggles again and stretching them down to check the lenses. "Yeah..."

Luffy grinned at the small blush on his cheeks, jabbing him in the ribs. "Uusopp and Kaa-ya, sit-ting in the tree-"

"H-hey, shut up Luffy!" The sniper barked angrily, shoving him away and Luffy yelped, almost falling out of the nest, but the grin remained on his face. "And what about you, huh?"

Luffy's grin disappeared, his mouth shaping a surprised and confused 'o'. "Eh? What about me?"

Usopp relaxed again and sank into the nest again, a sly grin donning his face. "Well, you want to be Pirate King, right?" Luffy nodded enthusiastically. Usopp let the goggles snap back to their original spot on his head and smirked. "Well, as far as I know, every King needs a Queen, right?"

Luffy was about to nod, but then stopped in mid-nod. "Eh?"

Usopp nodded instead of him and continued. "Yeah!"

Luffy blinked and craned his neck in confusion again. "Gold Roger didn't have a Queen." Usopp smirked.

"That's what you think, what you've been told. But, who knows," Usopp shrugged and cast a dramatic look skyward. "He might've had a Queen nobody knew about." And there he stopped for a few seconds, feigning a serious, meaningful look and leaned in. "_Every_ King needs a Queen."

He grinned triumphantly at the astonished look on Luffy's face, gloating inwardly at his own brilliance.

Luffy stared at him in awe, wondering how come he had managed to overlook something as important as that. It all made sense, actually – if he wanted to become Pirate King, having a Pirate Queen by his side was a must. He grabbed Usopp by the shoulders suddenly, making the sniper snap out of praising himself and he blinked at the intense look in his eyes, sweatdropping.

"But how do I find Pirate Queen? Where do I find her?"

Usopp's lips twitched into an unpleasant smile, seeing his Captain taking the bait a bit too firmly. He glanced sideways, raking his brain for something smart to say and get him off his back.

"Uhh...well...hmm..."

"Yeah?" Luffy whispered and leaned in as if Usopp was about to share some great conspiracy theory with him. The said long-nose's eye twitched.

"Well...she, uh...she...well, she would have to be, uh..."

"_Yeah_?" Luffy's nose was almost touching and bending Usopp's now and the sniper had to lean back to avoid poking his captain in the eye. The intense, zealous look in Luffy's eyes was becoming scary.

Usopp swallowed. "She would have to be...uhh...pretty! Yes, that's it! Pretty! And...and...well smart, too! And...uhhh...someone you trust, obviously because you couldn't just trust all your gold and treasure with someone you don't know! And...and...that...mostly covers it...?"

Peaceful silence; interrupted by Sanji cooing from somewhere below and Zoro telling him to shut up already. Usopp stared, still sweatdropping at Luffy who was staring mutely back at him. Then, finally, he blinked and let go of him, letting him plop down again. He looked at the black flag billowing over his head.

"Hmm...someone who's pretty and smart and somebody I trust..."

Usopp heaved a sigh of relief and went back to his staff, glad he managed to get him off his shoulders. After all, who's ever heard of Gold Roger having a Queen? And where would he find someone who's pretty and smart and whom he trusted, anyway? And who would want to be his Queen in the first place? The sheer thought was absurd.

He relaxed, leaving his Captain to stare at the flag blankly and was just about to perform an experimental swing when...

"AHA!"

He jerked and yelped, gaping at the victorious look on Luffy's face and then his eyes bulged out of their sockets when Luffy jumped off the edge of the nest and landed on the deck.

"Hey Nami!" He exclaimed happily and Usopp smacked his forehead, sinking deeper into the nest. "Guess what! You're going to be my Pirate Queen!"

"WHAT?" Chorused below on the deck, two voices belonging to a shocked navigator and an outraged cook.

"What the hell are you talking about, you moron?" Sanji bellowed while Nami stared at him in disbelief. Robin just smiled merrily, Zoro clamped his hands over his ears and Chopper didn't really understand anything, anyway...

"What? She's pretty, she's smart and I trust her!" Luffy replied casually on which Nami gawked at him, a small blush creeping on her cheeks. Sanji didn't share his opinion.

"You moron!"

"..."

"Would you all shut up! I can't sleep!"

"Robin...what are they talking about?"

"I'll tell you when you're older, doctor."

"There's no way Nami-san will marry you!"

"Who says she'll marry me? I just want her as my Pirate Queen!"

Usopp huddled in the nest and placed his goggles on his eyes, concentrating on the clouds above and trying to ignore the noise from below. Next time, he'd just keep his mouth shut...

---

**a/n:**

Well, there you have it!

I'm sure this idea was used already, but I just couldn't resist! XD

Anyway, I'm currently watching Water 7 arc on German TV and trying to keep up with manga and...I don't know how I'm going to incorporate the newest plot development and characters into the story. It was kind of weird to incorporate Robin when she became the crewmember into my stories, but I managed somehow. I hope I'll manage to do that with other characters that will join, as well...

_Yami_ _Umi _– you're a guy? Oh...oops, sorry! XD But...you kind of _do_ sound like a girl in your reviews and comments! O.o;

_beamz_ – Yeah, I know how hard it is to write LuffyxNami... I hope Oda-san will give us something more tangible in the near future...He's only throwing small hints here and there, nyah! XD

And thank you all for reviewing! Much love! XD


	9. Patching Up

Disclaimer: I sent Oda-san some letters, asking him if I could be a co-owner of One Piece...He hasn't responded me yet...So, I still don't own OP.

---

_**IX - Patching up -**_

(Or _Why_ _would Luffy make every housewife truly desperate)_

-by Alena S. Anigor

---

They were standing in the middle of the main deck; the Captain and the Navigator, the black-haired young man standing casually in front of the girl who was currently holding his shirt (or what was left of it) and glaring at him in annoyance. The rest of the crew was relaxing behind them, exhausted after a battle with a large sea turtle...that had horns...and horrible spiky flippers...But, I digress.

So, after being engaged into a staring match against her captain and losing (since Luffy was notorious for being able to stare at someone for hours without blinking and creeping people out because of that uncanny ability of his), she just let out a heavy sigh, shook her head and gave up on trying to explain to him how he should've been more careful. Instead, she just looked at the shirt and then frowned when he poked his head through the huge gap in the material, looking at her expectantly.

"So, can you fix it?" He asked hopefully, blinking at her innocently. Nami merely mumbled something under her breath and turned around, marching down the deck and up the stairs to her cabin, leaving a half-naked Luffy behind. When she slammed the door behind her, he tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms over his chest before he shivered when a gust of cool air breezed by.

"Uh, Nami," He yelled from the main deck, staring at the closed door of her cabin somewhat miserably, "can you hurry up? I'm kinda freezing out here!"

"It's your fault, you idiot," Sanji muttered from nearby, looking at him darkly. "You just had to end up hanging upside down from those horns, didn't you? And now poor Nami-san has to undergo more torture by fixing your shirt!" The latter sentence was, of course choked out through gritted teeth, followed by tears rolling down his cheek. Zoro restrained himself from smacking him on the head, leaving Chopper to try to console the melodramatic cook. Luffy remained silent, plopping down and staring blankly at Nami's cabin door.

Inside her cabin, Nami growled at the exclamation, a needle in one hand and the remains of the shirt in the other, a piece of thread hanging from her gritted teeth.

"The moron." She let out before she sighed irately and got down to business, trying to piece his shirt together again, hissing in pain when she jabbed the needle a bit too harshly through the material and grazed her finger.

"You _so_ owe me for this, Luffy," she muttered darkly, remembering all the times she had to play a housewife and fix his hat, shirt or the hem of his pants...It was sometimes a tiresome job but she figured that the idiot would probably walk around naked by now if there weren't for her efforts to keep his clothes in one piece. And his hat, as well...

She stopped briefly and glanced outside the small window, gazing at the puffy clouds thoughtfully.

He really was fond of that hat of his...And the thought of losing it or it being torn and ruined would always send him into a fit...She sighed and looked at the red shirt in her hands, reminding herself just how many times he had trusted her with that hat...In the end, she supposed he simply trusted her with everything, and counted on her to help him out, even when it came to minor, seemingly insignificant things like patching up his shirt again...

She smiled softly and sighed again, turning her attention to the shirt and deciding to do her best and make it look more or less presentable again. After all, he had patched up her life that had always been in shreds after her mother's death...He would sometimes annoy the heck out of her, but she knew he never did it on purpose – he was simply Luffy, and it wasn't his fault he got himself in trouble so many times...No, wait, that wasn't entirely true...

Still, he depended on her for her support and skills and she knew that she depended on him for his strength, loyalty and friendship. It was about mutual respect and support; they were all nakama, after all...

With a thoughtful look on her face, she sighed and got back to her work, letting out a yelp when she stabbed her finger again, swearing out loud.

Now, if only he would stop being so damn reckless and pay attention to what he was doing a bit more so she wouldn't have to have her fingers in band-aids for days...

---

When the sky had started to darken slowly, she was finally done. With a few cracks of her bones, she straightened up in her chair and stretched, letting out a sigh and blinking at the falling night outside, rubbing her eyes after staring at his shirt for so long.

In the end, she had managed to patch up all the torn angles and that giant hole together, making the shirt whole again. Truth be told, it didn't really look _that_ awesome as before, but it was all she could do to make it look at least somewhat decent. With a satisfied smile, she stood up and stretched again, placing the needle and the thread on her table before she went outside in search of her captain.

She found him goofing around with Usopp and Chopper, and when he spotted her with his favorite shirt, he was on his feet in a second, his eyes wide with anticipation.

"Is it done?" He asked eagerly, Usopp and Chopper looking at them curiously from the floor. Nami shrugged but smiled nonetheless at his expression.

"I did my best," she replied and handed it to him. He snatched it eagerly from her hands and unfolded it, skimming almost critically over the red material and yellow buttons before he grinned approvingly and put it on, straightening the folds with a few pats of his palms. Chopper and Usopp nodded in approval, as well, Chopper complimenting her on her good work.

Nami just shrugged nonchalantly but beamed at the compliment inwardly, putting her hands behind her back and hiding a few band-aids in the process. She yelped a moment later when Luffy glomped her suddenly, laughing merrily in her ear.

"Thanks, Nami!" He exclaimed happily before Sanji barked at them from the kitchen that the dinner was ready. She barely managed to blink at his action when he was already out of the cabin and running down the deck excitedly, his voice booming all over the ship.

"Sanji, get me some meat!"

Chopper and Usopp followed and Nami met up with Robin on the deck just when Luffy was in front of the kitchen door, marching happily towards Zoro who blinked sleepily at him. Nami already wanted to say something to Robin when Usopp yelled "watch out, Luffy!" and an awful, awfully familiar ripping sound followed afterwards.

Chopper and Usopp stopped in mid-step and stared ahead, Sanji and Zoro gawking at their captain before they all slowly turned to look at Nami...who was currently staring numbly at her half-naked captain, one half of her hard work still hanging limply over his chest and the other one hanging happily from the doorknob. Luffy just blinked at the swaying fabric in wonder, watching it swaying to and fro. And then he grinned sheepishly, looking at Nami.

"Uh, hey, Nami..." He started before Sanji clobbered him on the head with a frying pan, the act causing a loud clang, Chopper sweatdropping at the sight and Usopp hiding his face behind his hand, his nose sticking out between his fingers. Zoro just mumbled something under his breath and looked at the pot on the stove with interest. Robin glanced at the tangerine-haired girl, expecting some kind of outburst, but she remained still.

Nami stared and stared and stared at the scene dully for awhile, before her hands started to clench into shaking fists, band-aids bending slightly under pressure. She lowered her head, her bangs covering the murderous gleam in her eyes. Chopper, kind of sensing the homicidal aura around her, quickly backed away from her, eyes wide with horror when she suddenly looked up and Usopp let out a startled "eek" at the saccharine smile on her face. He quickly backed away from her, too when she made her way towards the kitchen, almost ripping the material away from the knob before she stopped in front of her captain, the smile not leaving her face.

Luffy cocked his head to the side and blinked at her. "Uh, are you mad, Nami?"

"Of course not, Luffy," she replied sweetly although Sanji and Zoro could detect dripping venom behind her seemingly placating words. Luffy, however sighed in relief and grinned at her, grabbing the remains of his shirt.

"So, could you fix it again?"

Nami's sweet smile slowly turned into a very, very scary one as she put a hand on his shoulder, applying more pressure than necessary and making Luffy blink at her. "Sure, Luffy," she coaxed and before he could do or say anything, he was pulled forward, his arm being caught in a death grip. His eyes widened in fright when he finally noticed a homicidal glower in her eyes but it was already too late.

"And this time I'm going to sew this shirt into your skin!"

With that exclaimed and promised, she started to drag him upstairs, Luffy stumbling behind her.

"No, I'm sorry Nami! Let go! Lemme go! No! Ahhhh, Naaamiiii!!!"

One rubber hand flew and clawed frantically at the door, the rest of the crew gawking blankly at it before there was a yelp and one accusing "You stabbed me with a needle, Nami!" before the hand let go of the door and disappeared again in the darkness of the night.

And as desperate pleas and screams for help could be heard from upstairs, Zoro kicked the perplexed Sanji below the table and the blond looked at him, blinking at his deadpanning expression.

"Hey Cook," he rasped, yawning and then cringing at the particularly loud scream from above, "how 'bout that dinner?"

---

**a/n:**

Uhm, hello there... :waves:

I know it's been a while but I actually have a few good excuses for that: 1. My muses vanished without a trace and I've had some trouble locating them again and 2. I've been Internet-less for the last three weeks or so...Don't ask...It was hell...I don't even know what's going on in OP manga! Will have to do some research...

Also, I plan on concluding SHT with one more chapter so that will make 10 chapters in total. This chapter was kind of inspired by one of OP covers where Nami's holding Luffy's shirt and by all those little moments in manga where she fixes his hat (huge thanks to LuffyxNami LJ community for providing us with those tidbits of information and pictures!)...I actually wanted to make a more romantic, light-hearted story out of this one, but somehow, it turned out somewhat crack!tastic in the end...Sorry, guys! XD

I don't know if I'll write for LxN anymore; at the moment, I'm kind of more interested in other anime couples but if I do find some inspiration, I'll make sure to spam your inboxes with story alerts! XD Thank you all for wonderful reviews and support!

And so, with that said, I conclude these ridiculously long author notes! Till next chapter, take care! XD


	10. Warmth

Disclaimer: -robotic voice- Alena doesn't own One Piece. Confirmed.

---

**_X – Warmth -_**

-by Alena S. Anigor

---

It was one of those picturesque, little islands that would charm you with their beauty and interesting flora and fauna but when Nami stepped off the ship and shivered when a gust of wintry air blew over her face, she concluded it was also one hell of a cold island. The beach was somewhat pebbly with an occasional rock that served as protection against the waves. The rocky path that led to the forest was covered in tiny flowers and Chopper immediately knelt down to investigate, his trusty book already open.

Zoro, Robin and Usopp were standing on the beach, looking around curiously; Robin already wondering if there was anything interesting to find while Zoro wondered if the beach was perhaps too rocky to sleep on. Usopp's main preoccupation was the potential monsters that lived in the forest and Franky volunteered to stay on the ship, not being too fond of the cool atmosphere that ruled on the island.

Luffy's eyes however, were directed far ahead to the middle of the island where a tall hill was situated, the top of it covered in snow. To Luffy it looked like an icing on a particularly delicious cake and he grinned enthusiastically, already wrapping a scar around his neck and putting a pair of woolen gloves on his hands. The sleeveless shirt was hidden by a coat although his pants and flip-flops were still peeking happily beneath it. He deemed the hill as something to _see_ and _conquer_ and before anyone could really stop him, he was already on his way, marching down the rocky path that led into the forest.

Sanji tried yelling after him but it was in vain – in a second, he was gone and the rest of the crew was left to sigh in dismay and shake their heads in disapproval, wondering where and when they would see him again. And if...

Nami, determined to draw the map of the island and leave as soon as possible, started to look around, trying to find an appropriate place from which she'd have a good viewpoint. In the end, she deadpanned, coming to a conclusion that the only spot she'd see the whole island from was the same hill Luffy ran off to just a few minutes ago. Annoyed, she grumbled something under her breath, angry at him for leaving them behind so quickly and with herself for letting him do just that. Now, she'd have to go all the way up by herself when she could've been up there already via Luffy Airlines. Granted, she knew that that kind of trip would probably cost her her papers, utensils and probably her life, but she was ready to risk it if only to get away from the cold.

With an almost pained look on her face, she took a deep breath, zipped her coat and adjusting her papers and utensils, made her way down the rocky path, ignoring another silly bet Sanji and Zoro were having. Robin was busy explaining something to Chopper while Usopp decided it was safer on the ship and joined Franky, the cyborg welcoming him with a wave of his cola bottle.

---

Almost an hour later, she stopped, panting heavily and glaring daggers at the hill that towered proudly over her. There was a small spiraling path up the hill but she decided to take a small break after encountering a strange, white bird that just stared at her mutely and refused to budge from the pathway. She slowly passed her by, ready to fight with pencils if necessary, but luckily, the bird stayed where it was and didn't even turn around when she started walking again.

She raised her head to look up and try to find her captain somewhere up there but there was no sign of him. She frowned slightly, wondering where he disappeared of to and then decided to resume her little expedition. With a resolved nod, she took a careful step forward and started climbing up the slippery path.

Halfway up the hill, she yelped when her foot slipped on the unsteady ground and she quickly grabbed the rock for support, holding onto it for a while and watching pebbles and stones rolling down into the mess of green and brown below. She swallowed, asking herself for the umpteenth time what the hell she had been thinking when she decided to climb up that hill.

"You're here to make a map...right..." She muttered to no one in particular, trying to convince herself to go on since she's already come this far.

Taking a hesitant step forward and still clutching the rocky wall tightly, she slowly made her way up again until a few feet later she stopped suddenly and screamed when Luffy's head literally dropped from the sky, a pair of dark eyes blinking at her curiously. She stared at him in astonishment for a few moments before she realized it was only her captain...or what was visible of him.

"Hey Nami!" He exclaimed happily after almost giving her a heart attack. "Whatcha doing here? I didn't know you were also coming up!"

Nami frowned in annoyance and looked up, realizing that his body was still on top of the hill, his hands resting against the edge and his neck extended down to her level. "Yeah, well, I am!" She snapped and clobbered him on the head with a liner. "You could've waited for me, you dolt!"

He let out a yelp, his head bobbing up and down before he gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry," he mumbled and then beamed at her. "Here, I'll help you up!" He exclaimed joyously and before Nami could utter another word, one of his arms stretched down, snaked around her waist and hoisted her up. With a loud scream, she found herself flying through chilly air for a few moments, clutching her papers and utensils before her feet touched the ground abruptly, sending unpleasant tingles up her calves.

Luffy merely dusted himself off and smiled at her, glad he could help her. She was still for a few moments, standing in front of him like that before she sighed and shook her head. In the end, she did fly via Luffy Airlines. She could almost envision the slogan: _Always an interesting experience!_

Looking around, she shuddered visibly; the air was even colder up there than down on the beach and she had only her coat on with a zipper that barely reached up to her collarbones.

"Damn it," she muttered, irritated with the whole island, weather and the situation in general. Luffy craned his neck a bit, wondering what was up with her. With a groan of despair, she sighed heavily and shoved the utensils into his hands, the pencils and liners wobbling unsteadily on his palms. "Hold this!"

Putting up a small tripod, she turned her back to the wind and placed one sheet of paper on it before she outstretched her hand like a surgeon in a need of a scalpel.

"Pencil!" She barked and Luffy complied obediently, one pencil materializing on her palm. He watched her work; trying hard to draw lines with liners and spite the nippy wind that blew around them and tousling their hair mercilessly. She worked dedicatedly, not paying too much attention to him, cursing every once in a while when the pencil slipped out of her numb fingers, resulting in a stray line.

"Damn it!" She finally exploded after the liner fell from her hand and onto the snowy hilltop, resisting the urge to throw everything in the capricious wind and run away to the warm confides of her cabin.

"What's the matter?" Luffy asked from aside, watching her with mild worry after being a silent spectator for the last fifteen minutes. She took a few deep breaths, her fists clenched by her sides before she turned to face him, glaring at him as if he was the main to blame. Luffy, of course, stayed unfazed by her murderous look.

"I'm freezing, that's the matter!" She snapped and then raised her arms in the air, Luffy following her movement with his eyes. "I can't do anything like this! Argh!"

She glowered at the grayish sky and gloomy clouds above, the urge to shake a fist at them rising in her. She blinked the next moment, feeling something soft and warm around her neck and looked down, coming face to face with Luffy, adjusting the scarf around the bare skin of her neck. She stared at him in wonder with her lips slightly parted; wondering when was the last time he had been so physically close to her.

He was so close she could feel his body heat and see the redness of his frozen cheeks and nose. There was some kind of warmth in his eyes and in his touch, in the small puffs of air he breathed every time he exhaled and in the act itself. When he finished folding the scarf around her neck, he looked her in the eye and smiled that bright smile of his, patting the front of the scarf softly.

"There," he said simply, making her blink at his words, "now you won't be so cold anymore." She looked down when he placed his gloves in her hands, hiding his own in the depths of his pockets. "And you'll be able to draw your map better."

She was freezing her butt off but she was sure she could've melted then and there after such a gesture of his, her cheeks turning slightly pink, this time not from the cold air. He could be so sweet and considerate sometimes that it made her want to hug him and squeeze the light out of him. And just when she was about to do just that, he let out a yelp and pointed behind her with wide eyes. Turning around briskly, she gasped in disbelief when the wind blew the paper away from the tripod and her half-finished map was flying to some better place.

"My map! Nooooo!" She cried, her hands on the sides of her head, watching the precious piece of paper fluttering across the gray sky and over the island. Slowly she turned around to look at the somewhat dismal look in his eyes and they both exchanged a meaningful glance.

After a few moments of staring into the distance and mourning after the lost map, she rubbed her gloved fingers and outstretched her hand, sighing in defeat. Behind her, her assistant was ready.

"Paper."

---

After she had somehow managed to finish her map (although she had lost her patience a few times and relied on Luffy to calm her down by simply standing there obediently) they had made their way down. But, instead of taking the _normal_ way down which would've included them both on their feet, trotting down the pathway, her captain had decided to take the easier and more painful way down.

Not even asking her for her opinion, he grabbed her, the map and utensils and ignoring the shrill protests of his navigator, located the ship rocking slightly over the waves and stretched his arms all the way to it. Nami only had a split second to close her eyes and her mouth before she was again flying through the chilly air, this time a bit longer since they had encountered small problems on the way – namely, Luffy's arm got stuck amidst one of the branches so they both landed somewhere on the frozen grass in the forest, Luffy cushioning the blow with his body.

She had called him a brainless idiot and clobbered him on the already bruised head before she stormed off, meeting with Robin and Chopper on the way who were still looking at the plants.

A worried Sanji greeted her on the ship, yelling at Luffy for almost killing his Nami-san, Zoro and Usopp eyeing her curiously. She didn't realize why until she reached her cabin and stopped in front of her mirror. Slowly placing the map on the desk, she smiled at the person in the mirror, wearing a blue scarf and red woolen gloves.

Almost gingerly, she raised the scarf to her face and sniffed the scent of cold air, forest plants and...just plain Luffy. She would return the gloves to him tomorrow, but she thought she'd keep the scarf. It kind of looked good on her.

Her scatterbrained captain could _really_ be sweet sometimes...and those moments she had learned to cherish and remember. The smile froze on her lips when she felt a familiar tickling sensation in her nose and a moment later, she sneezed loudly, glaring at the red-nosed Nami in the mirror.

Yes, he was sweet and all, but totally reckless and too adventurous for his own good...and hers. Sneezing again, she cursed the blasted island and the stupid weather, reaching inside her drawer for some Aspirins. Just in case.

---

**a/n**

Gah, I am sooooo sorry for not updating sooner! I know it's a lame excuse, but I've been busy – I'm still at work (at the sea) and it's past midnight now and I have to get up in 6 hours and I'm starting my first year of college in a month and I'll have to move to another town...And I'm babbling. XD

Anyway, I've decided not to finish SHT just yet...Since I felt inspired to write this chapter, who knows. Also, when I get back home (which will be in 10 days or so) I'll post a fanart more or less based on this story. I don't know why but there's something about me and scarves...A few of my other stories and fanarts were also based on it... XD

Right, that's about it. The guy that works at the Internet café is already giving me strange looks every time he sees me here...Till next time, take care! XD


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